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04-22-2006, 10:39 AM
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#1 (permalink)
| | Skunk Shrimp
Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kenosha, Wisconsin Age: 24
Posts: 260
Karma: 37
 
|  Serpent Sea Star, loosing arms.
My Serpent Sea Star, Fancy Tiger-striped, is loosing arms. He's lost 3 already.
I got him about 2 weeks ago. He lost one arm the second day I had him, and now I see he's lost 2 more.
He is still eating the krill I give him.
My water is perfect for everything.
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75 G Display, 12 G Refuge, 12 G sump, 1/10 Chiller, Coralife Skimmer, 300 Watts MH 14,000 K, 356 Watts of Actinic PC Lighting, 120 Pounds of Substrate, 109 lbs of Rock.
Corals: Pumping Xenia, colt, Hammer, 4 misc mushroom groups.
Fish: 2 Ocellaris Clowns, Yellow Tang.
Inverts: turbo snails, astrea snails, tiger striped serpent star, sifting star, skunk cleaner shrimp, sally, red ball sponge, 50 or so hermit crabs | 
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04-22-2006, 11:07 AM
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#2 (permalink)
| | Scooter Blennie
Join Date: Sep 2005 Age: 26
Posts: 1,200
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My first suspicion, someone is trying to EAT HIM! Possibly a hermit crab or a hitchhiker crab. Might also have an infection spreading, you never know. Are the chopped legs anywhere in the tank? Or are they no where to be seen? I would look into who might be sabotaging the serpent.
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30g reef tank, CPR CY192 filter w/ DIY plumb running Rio 17HF return, Coralife 3x 9w UV Sterilizer, 3 24W T5-Helios 10K Daylights/3 24W T5-Helios Blue lights, 2 Logysis blue meteor light strobes (moonlights/24 Blue LEDs).
Tiger tail cuke, asst. snails/hermits, asst. feathers, rainbow acan,zoos,shrooms,bubble,galaxea, asst. shrimp, 2 ocellaris,mandarin,zebrasoma xanthurum,pink-spot watchman,red-striped pistol. | |
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04-22-2006, 11:14 AM
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#3 (permalink)
| | Giant Squid
Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Los Angeles, California Age: 21
Posts: 3,451
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What does the area around the missing arm look like? Is it clean or does it look infected? Rickzter could be right about somthing trying to attack it...but because you only have had it for two weeks im leaning toward shock from the new tank. How long did you acclimate the star? Many people know that they need alot of acclimation but not many know that its really needed. I acclimated one star for 8 hours and it still came down with an infection. Somtimes you need luck with stars. Hope everything is ok with him. _________ Tank Specs:
55 Gallon Mixed Reef
48" Tek Light: 4-54W T5 HO Fluorescents
Bulbs:
1 x 54w Fiji Purple T5 HO Fluorescent
1 x 54w Super Actinic Blue T5 HO Flourescent
1 x 54w 14000K AquaBlue 75/25 T5 HO Fluorescent
1 x 54w 10000k AquaSun T5 HO Fluorescent
Hard Stuff:
100+ lb. Fiji Live Rock
65+ lb. Live sand
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04-22-2006, 11:21 AM
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#4 (permalink)
| | Skunk Shrimp
Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kenosha, Wisconsin Age: 24
Posts: 260
Karma: 37
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The arms are laying on the sand bed. My hermits are very small and I don't think they could do this. I haven't really seen anything go near it, the sally light foots run away.
The star is very quick and I think if anything was bothering him he'd be able to get away.
Where the segments of the arms used to be, they are white. They look clean besides the white.
I drip acclimated him and a sand sifting star for about 3 hours. The sifter disappeared until today when I was stirring up the sand bed, he looked healthy.
Can you feed garlic to stars? I would like to try soaking the Krill. | |
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04-22-2006, 11:53 AM
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#5 (permalink)
| | Giant Squid
Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Los Angeles, California Age: 21
Posts: 3,451
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Hmmm well i would probably leave it alone. What i have found with stars...if theres somthing wrong, its best to leave it alone because they will just get super stressed out. If the star seems to start to melt i would QT or at least watch it alot. But if he seems fine and just lost some arms i wouldnt worry that much 
KArma for you Star | |
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04-22-2006, 12:08 PM
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#6 (permalink)
| | Skunk Shrimp
Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kenosha, Wisconsin Age: 24
Posts: 260
Karma: 37
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Ok, I will look after him.
On the subject of the sand sifter, do I have to feed him. I've only seen him twice. I tried feeding him today when I found him, by the time I could get food he was gone. I am assuming he is eating what's in the sand. I read they eat meaty foods, but I can't find him. I saw him when I put him in the tank and then today. | |
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04-22-2006, 12:10 PM
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#7 (permalink)
| | Giant Squid
Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Los Angeles, California Age: 21
Posts: 3,451
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I would try feeding him, unless you have a very large DSB he wont get enough food to eat | |
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04-22-2006, 12:16 PM
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#8 (permalink)
| | Skunk Shrimp
Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kenosha, Wisconsin Age: 24
Posts: 260
Karma: 37
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I'll see if I can find him. | |
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04-22-2006, 12:20 PM
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#9 (permalink)
| | 3reef Moderator
Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Wethersfield, CT Age: 38
Posts: 6,351
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What's your salinity at? The number one cause of starfish losing limbs is low or high salinity and high nitrates. Is the tank grounded? | |
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04-22-2006, 04:49 PM
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#10 (permalink)
| | Skunk Shrimp
Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kenosha, Wisconsin Age: 24
Posts: 260
Karma: 37
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SG is 1.026. Nitrates is 0.
What do you mean by grounded, electricity wise? | |
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